McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Brooks Koepka is enjoying the grind in his return to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf, and he feels like he has to take advantage of every opportunity.
Koepka is playing in his third consecutive tournament this week at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, an event that most of the game’s top players are skipping coming off the PGA Championship.
“Every week is a new fresh start for me,” Koepka said Wednesday, a day before teeing off in a group with hometown favorite Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 player and defending Nelson champion. “Obviously with my penalty I’m not allowed to play every event, and if I get the chance to tee up, I want to play.”
Nearly four years after being one of the biggest names to sign a financially lucrative deal with the Saudi-funded LIV tour — his was for more than $100 million — the five-time major champion is back on the PGA Tour this year with some restrictions. He will not receive FedEx Cup bonus money this season, and he can’t play in any of the signature events unless he earns his way in. The Nelson isn’t one of those $20 million events.
“I’ve kind of fallen back in love with this,” Koepka said. “I’m enjoying the grind. I’m enjoying battling it out here. Yeah, it’s just a newfound love, a newfound passion for the game, and something that I’m really, really enjoying being back on the road and grinding it out and trying to find it in the dirt.”
The 36-year-old Koepka, now ranked 111th, has made the cut in seven of his 10 tournaments. He returned at Torrey Pines at the end of January. His only top-10 finish was a tie for ninth at the Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, but he did tie for 13th at The Players Championship and 12th at the Masters.
This is only the second time this season he plays three weeks in a row. He tied for 55th at the PGA Championship after a closing 4-over 74.
While he has changed putters this week going into the Nelson, Koepka feels good about the state of his game.
“I’m driving the ball fantastic. I feel like I’m in complete control,” he said. “I feel like I’m in complete control of my golf ball. Shape, spin, trajectory, everything seems to be right where I need it to be. It’s just a matter of rolling those putts in.”
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AP Sports Writer Stephen Hawkins contributed to this report.
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